Sierra Club honors Frenchtown photographer

Photographer Bill Brokaw, whose Brokaw Photography studio looks over the town center from the second floor at 34 Bridge Street, was honored to be chosen by The Sierra Club as official photographer of its first-ever “Run Like The Wind” 5K Run.

Held on Saturday, Nov. 23 on the Boardwalk in Seaside, the event was held to raise funds to help bring clean energy to homes and businesses. The location, devastated by last year’s Superstorm Sandy, was chosen to highlight the disastrous effects many believe to be caused by global warming.

The two-hour event welcomed runners, walkers and clean energy lovers to show their support for offshore wind power. Brokaw was there among the throngs of participants and spectators to capture excitement and energy of the first-time event.

Referred by a videographer colleague, Brokaw got the nod from the nationally renowned conservation group, who told him he was “perfect for the job.” This was due not only to their being impressed by the quality of his images, but also his background as a conservation-minded activist in the Delaware Valley and its related watersheds.

The primary challenge of such an assignment, says Brokaw, is to create exciting, original images that express the fun and meaning of the event, while at the same time highlighting the sponsor. “Every picture needs to tell the story,” the 25-year veteran photographer explains. “It can also be a challenge to create unique images of a common event like a 5K, that are different from what you may have seen a hundred times.”

Physically, everything has to happen on-the-fly. There’s no time for elaborate set-ups or preparations, so a photographer must be agile and able to think quickly. Not only must he be paying attention to everything going on around him, he must also anticipate what might happen.

“Equipment limitations are also always a challenge,” he says. “Cameras don’t react as quickly as the eye or the mind, so there needs to be a wee bit of premonition about what will happen—where and when—before the instant actually occurs. I can only photograph things that occur spontaneously. If they don't occur, happen too fast or I am not looking at the right time in the right direction from the right spot…no picture.”

These are challenges Brokaw welcomes to keep him on his feet and keep the work interesting. It helps that he strongly supports the cause for which the event is intended. “The Sierra Club is promoting wind power to reduce the use of coal, and this 5K is part of that campaign. I’m proud that the work I’m doing today is helping to clean up the world I’ll be leaving to my kids and their families. At the end of the day, what more can you ask than to spend your time doing work you love in support of a cause you believe in?”

For more information or to view Brokaw's work, visit BrokawPhotography.com